


Aftermath

by imloopy



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Chloe Decker & Lucifer Morningstar - Freeform, Eventual truth reveal, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Season/Series 03 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-04-24 18:47:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14361435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imloopy/pseuds/imloopy
Summary: This picks up at the end of episode 3:20. I'm venting my frustrations here - no idea where it will end up, so please bear with me.A distraught Lucifer turns up at Linda's house and she takes care of him. But why is he in that state? And what's happened to Pierce?





	1. Can't sleep

**Author's Note:**

> I found episode 3:20 very hard to watch in places, and I was furious at Chloe for not responding to Lucifer's obvious distress. This is my attempt to fix things, and to give myself a storyline I can live with, as well as providing Lucifer with the comfort he so desperately needs.

Linda struggled to keep her eyes open. Having the group of medical professionals meeting at her house was a bad idea. At least when it was the turn of one of the others to host, she could get away with leaving the meeting early. She repressed a sigh as one of her colleagues repeated the same idea for a fourth time. Would this ever end?  
She stifled a yawn and thought longingly of her bed. Maybe coffee would help. She forced herself to her feet, then gasped as a furious knocking echoed through the apartment. Who would bang on her door like that? Around her, the others looked at each other uneasily, the conversation silenced.   
Linda moved tentatively toward the door, and peered through the peephole, her heart beating fast. She clutched her phone in one hand, ready to call the police.  
‘Lucifer?’  
Shocked, she pulled the door open, to reveal the devil standing in front of her. ‘What’s happened?’  
He looked - she considered him a moment. He looked a total mess. There was no other way to describe him. His eyes were rimmed with red, as though he’d been crying. His hair was standing on end as though he had run his fingers through it, his shirt creased and untucked, and his vest half unbuttoned. His hand, raised to bang on the door again, shook slightly, and he stared at her with an expression she could only describe as utter desolation.  
‘Lucifer!’  
He gazed back at her wordlessly, and swayed a little.  
Linda took hold of his raised hand, and felt it tremble. She glanced back over her shoulder, where a colleague was standing uncertainly, looking worried. ‘It’s okay,’ she said. ‘He’s a friend. Could you see everyone out when you’re done, and lock up for me? I think I need to go deal with this.’  
She grabbed her purse and gently pushed Lucifer away from the door. ‘Come on,’ she said. ‘I think I need to take you home.’  
She was tempted by Lucifer’s convertible, parked awkwardly in a corner of the lot; had he driven here in that state? She steered him towards her car instead. Thumbing the lock, she opened the door and pushed him toward the seat. He moved as though sleepwalking. What on earth had happened to him? He sat awkwardly, woodenly, and she reached around him to fasten his seatbelt. ‘Lucifer? Talk to me, please. What’s the matter?’ She placed her hand on the side of his face. He was hot to the touch.  
He moved his head slightly, his eyes looking unfocused. ‘Can’t sleep,’ he said. It was barely more than a mumble.  
‘Let’s get you back to your place and put you to bed,’ she said, pushing a stray lock of hair out of his eyes. He made no response.  
Frowning, Linda went round to the driver’s side and strapped herself in. Lucifer’s eyes were drooping, but as she started the engine he jumped. ‘Must stay awake,’ he muttered.  
‘What? Why?’  
Receiving no response, she pulled away, and drove towards Lucifer’s place. The man beside her seemed to fall into an uneasy doze, and she gave him worried glances as she drove. Why was he so insistent about not sleeping? Was he suffering from insomnia? His eyes were closed now, but he shifted uneasily in the seat. At one point he mumbled something under his breath, but she couldn’t catch the words.   
‘Here we are.’ She parked in the underground lot and helped him out of the car. He moved as though in a trance, his eyes staring blankly ahead. By the time they reached the penthouse, he still had shown no response to her.  
‘What the hell’s happened here?’ Linda gazed around the penthouse in dismay. The normally well ordered apartment was in chaos. Cushions from the sofa were strewn around the floor. A fleecy blanket lay draped across the piano. An assortment of toys and other objects lay as though scattered by a bored child. And was that blood on the floor?  
Lucifer turned his gaze toward her. ‘Can’t sleep.’  
‘Why not? Lucifer, talk to me.’  
‘Sleep flying. If I don’t sleep, I don’t fly.’ He frowned, as though he’d lost his train of thought. ‘But it wasn’t me. Mazikeen. She - She did this.’  
‘She made this mess?’ Linda tried to ignore the chill she felt at the mention of Maze. The demon had not spoken to her since that night at the restaurant, that terrible double date that Maze had planned to torture her and Amenadiel. And what did Lucifer mean about sleep flying? She remembered the last conversation they had had, when he had been concerned about a report of an angel seen flying around. It couldn’t be him, could it?  
Lucifer shook his head, and the force of the movement made him stagger. ‘I made the mess. Mazikeen was distracting me.’  
Linda shook her head. He still wasn’t making any sense. She stopped trying to figure out what was going on. First things first: Lucifer needed to rest. She placed a firm hand under his elbow. ‘Come on, Lucifer, let’s put you to bed. You’re exhausted. You’ll feel better after a good night’s sleep.’  
‘Can’t sleep,’ he responded automatically, but allowed her to lead him up the steps to his bedroom. He made no protest as she unfastened his clothes and stripped him down to his underwear, but struggled against her as she tried to lower him to the bed.   
‘Lucifer, you need to sleep,’ she said gently. ‘Lie down. You’ll feel better after you’ve had a good sleep.’  
‘No. Can’t. Can’t go flying around.’  
‘It’s all right. I’m here. I’ll stay with you. I’ll make sure you stay right here.’ She pulled the covers down and sat him on the bed.  
He calmed a little at her words, and settled back on the pillows. As she lifted his legs round onto the bed, his eyes drifted shut and his breathing evened out. She pulled the covers up around his shoulders, tucking him in.  
‘No!’ Before she had even had a chance to move away from the bed, he was awake again, trying to sit up, fighting against her gentle pressure. His eyes stared wildly at her, not seeing her. His hair stuck out at all angles, giving him a crazed look. She was suddenly reminded of the time when his brother had died. He had acted out then, but this was far worse.  
She talked to him softly, comfortingly, talking nonsense, calming him as she would a wild animal. Gradually he relaxed a little, and his eyes began to focus.   
‘Hey, welcome back,’ she said, stroking his hair back from his face. ‘Lucifer, what’s going on?’  
His eyes were drifting closed again, and she laid him back and stroked his hair. He started to relax a little, but it was still a very uneasy sleep.   
Linda tiptoed away and fetched her phone. Maybe Chloe knew what was going on with him. But it was Dan who answered. Linda glanced at the display on her phone, wondering if she had dialed wrong.   
‘Chloe’s in bed,’ Dan said. ‘She - she’s upset. She and Pierce broke up tonight.’  
‘Oh.’ Linda looked over towards the bed, where Lucifer was beginning to stir again. ‘I was wondering if you knew what’s up with Lucifer.’  
‘I haven’t seen him for days.’ Dan sounded irritated. ‘I’m sorry, Linda, I’ve got bigger things to worry about.’  
She disconnected and stood for a few minutes, thinking. Did Lucifer know Chloe and Pierce had broken up? He seemed upset. Wouldn’t that news have pleased him?  
There were noises from the bedroom again, and Lucifer came down the steps, staggering on unsteady legs. Linda caught hold of his arm. ‘Come and sit down,’ she encouraged, leading him towards the sofa. If he couldn’t settle in bed, maybe he would feel better out here. Maybe that was why the blanket was here, she thought suddenly.   
She settled Lucifer on the sofa, tucked the blanket around him and sat down next to him, cradling his head in her lap. ‘Shush,’ she soothed, stroking his hair and resting her other hand on his shoulder. He relaxed a little, and his breath evened out, as he drifted to sleep. Linda shifted slightly on the sofa, wincing as Lucifer’s shoulder dug into her thigh. It was going to be a long night.


	2. Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe suspects that Lucifer had something to do with Pierce walking out on her, and she's furious with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chloe's side of the story. I desperately needed to work through this to try to understand it myself. I'm not promising a chapter a day, but at the moment this is my therapy.  
> I've been blown away by your comments, so thank you. It seems I've really hit a nerve with this. For those finding it as painful to deal with the episodes as I did, I hope this provides some release.

Chloe stretched and yawned. Her head ached, and her thoughts felt fuzzy, and for a moment she couldn’t work out why.  
Marcus.  
The thought stabbed. He had walked out on her. She had been about to tell him she loved him, and he had said she wasn’t worth it and had left.  
Where had it gone so wrong? Her mind returned to the track it had raced on late into the night, and still she had no answer. He had been the perfect gentleman. She had felt wanted, loved, needed. She had felt that with all the turmoil of her life over the past few years, breaking up with Dan, learning the truth about her father’s killer, and of course dealing with _him…_ After all that, she finally had a rock to cling to, something she could rely on to remain constant.  
And then he had left her.  
There had to be some mistake. She hadn’t misread him that badly, had she? She had felt so sure. He had been so steady, so reliable, so convincing that he really wanted her.  
Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at her bedroom door, and then the door opened and Dan’s head appeared. ‘I brought you a coffee. How are you feeling?’  
‘Thanks, Dan.’ She frowned. ‘What are you doing here?’  
He placed the steaming mug on her bedside table. ‘Trixie called. She was pretty upset over it all.’  
‘Oh.’ Chloe sat up and took the mug into her hands, savoring the aroma and avoiding Dan’s gaze. ‘Did she tell you Pierce - he walked out?’  
‘She said you’d had a row. What happened, Chloe? I thought you two were so happy together.’  
The tears started welling again. ‘So did I. I don’t know, Dan. It all seemed so perfect, and then…’ She sipped at the coffee, trying to think of something, anything, other than the events of the previous evening.  
‘Chloe…’ Dan sat down on the edge of the bed. ‘I went over to his place, after I dropped Trixie at school this morning—’  
‘You didn’t! Dan, no!’  
He held up a hand. ‘I just wanted to talk to him, ask him what the hell he thought he was doing. But he wasn’t there.’  
She wasn’t sure whether that made her feel better or worse. So he had bolted. What was it with the men in her life lately? The moment she opened herself up to them, made herself vulnerable, they grew frightened and ran away. And she had been so sure he was different.  
Dan placed a hand on her knee through the covers. ‘Chloe, there’s something that worries me. I checked the place out - his bike is still there, but there was no sign of him. And his back window was smashed.’ He hesitated. ‘There were signs of a struggle. Smashed furniture. A smear of blood.’  
Chloe stared at him. This just didn’t make sense. Him running away she could understand - barely - but his place being smashed up?  
A terrible thought struck her. ‘Lucifer came here last night. After Marcus left. He stormed out again.’  
Dan nodded. ‘Sounds plausible. I’ll go speak to him.’  
‘No!’ Chloe threw the covers back. ‘I’ll go.’  
She showered and dressed hurriedly, the storm in her mind raging. How dare he interfere? After all he had put her through, he just couldn’t leave well enough alone. He had made it very clear he wasn’t interested in a relationship with her. Had invited her in so many times, only to pull away and leave her devastated. And now he had screwed this up somehow for her as well.

  
***

  
The scene in the penthouse was not what she was expecting. The place was an absolute mess. Linda, of all people, sat on the sofa, with what looked like a blanket next to her, and it was only when she moved forward that Chloe realised it was Lucifer, stretched out under a fleecy blanket, his head resting on Linda’s lap, away from Chloe. Linda was stroking his hair gently. She looked up at Chloe and pressed a finger to her lips. ‘Please don’t wake him,’ she said in a low voice. ‘He’s been so restless, and he so desperately needs sleep.’  
Fury welled over Chloe like a breaking wave. ‘How dare he! I need to talk to him, Linda. Now. I need to know what he did to Marcus.’ Her voice almost broke on his name. Anger and fear and shame and hurt battled within her, and took her breath away. She sank onto the other end of the sofa, and rubbed her face with her hands.  
‘What happened?’ Linda asked. ‘Lucifer’s exhausted. Do you know why he’s in this state?’  
Chloe shook her head. ‘I couldn’t care less. I’ve had enough. All this time… and now he comes up with some stupid story about not being able to sleep or his father will make him fly around doing good… I just can’t handle it anymore.’  
‘Ah.’ Linda gave that knowing nod that infuriated her. ‘Well that explains that part.’  
Taking a deep breath, Chloe tried to gather her thoughts. ‘Marcus Pierce is missing. There’s signs of a struggle at his place. And blood. I need to talk to Lucifer. Marcus might be hurt somewhere.’  
Linda shook her head, but under her hands Lucifer stirred slightly. He turned towards Chloe, and she stifled a gasp at the sight of him. He looked so pale, so ill. His eyes were still red-rimmed, and she recalled with a start how he had been the previous evening. Had he really gone without sleep for a week?  
She hardened her heart against him, remembering how he had behaved recently, humiliating her in front of her colleagues, fussing over everyone except her, acting as though she meant nothing to him; worse than nothing. She couldn’t live with that anymore. It hurt too much. Each step forward was just the precursor to a more painful step back. ‘Lucifer, what did you do to Pierce?’  
He blinked at her, looking confused, then lifted himself onto one elbow. Linda placed a hand on his shoulder to steady him as he swung his feet around and leaned back against the sofa, looking ready to collapse.  
‘Detective? Are you okay?’  
Her heart gave that funny little lurch as he spoke to her, and she steeled herself against it. Not again. She would not go there again. Enough was enough. ‘Dan says Pierce is missing. His place is smashed up, and there’s blood.’  
Lucifer frowned, looking confused. ‘I went to see him, after… I hit him, because he hurt you. And then I saw his mark was gone, and I left. There was no blood.’  
‘His… What do you mean, his mark was gone?’  
Lucifer took a deep, unsteady breath, and looked away for a minute. ‘I told you about his curse. That my father had cursed him so he couldn’t die. That mark on his arm - the circle. That’s his curse. But it’s gone.’  
Chloe had noticed that circular mark on Pierce’s arm almost from the beginning. She had been sure there was a tattoo there, but when they started dating, it had been just a circular scar. She had asked him about it once, touched it gently. He had brushed away her concern, told her it was nothing. But she had felt the tension in his body.  
_A flash of memory surged; a man in front of her, draped only in a towel. Horrendous scars on his back. ‘That’s where I cut my wings off.’ She had reached out, touched them, and he had spun around, grabbed her wrist. She had been shocked at the strength in his grip. A hoarse voice, full of pain. ‘Don’t. Please.’_  
She shook the memory off, irritated. ‘Stop talking nonsense, Lucifer, and talk to me properly!’  
Lucifer stiffened, and anger flashed across his face. ‘I’m telling you the truth, detective!’  
Linda leaned forward, rubbed his arm, looked at Chloe. ‘That’s enough,’ she said. ‘He’s answered your question, and he’s in no fit state to be questioned further.’  
Lucifer settled back against the sofa and leaned his head back, seemingly exhausted. Chloe shook her head in frustration. ‘Is that the truth, Lucifer? You hit him once and left?’  
He lifted his head for a second to look at her. ‘It was twice. But yes, then I left, when I noticed the mark was gone. I couldn’t think straight. I didn’t know what else to do. So I went to Linda for help.’  
He leaned his head back again and closed his eyes. He looked so beaten down and helpless that it nearly made her heart melt.  
Nearly.  
But the pain inside her was too real. For the past couple of years he had led her on a dance, first appearing desperate to sleep with her, then withdrawing. They had started to make progress - she flushed at the thought of the time she had kissed him - and then he had run away and got married, of all things.  
Now, just as she had managed to get over him and find happiness, it was gone again, and she was sure he had something to do with it. And all the crazy accusations he had been making?  
She looked at Linda, who was laying Lucifer back down on the sofa, settling him under the covers, this time with his head on a pillow. Linda raised an eyebrow at her. ‘Chloe, have you ever known him to lie?’ she asked softly.  
She looked away. ‘I don’t know.’  
_The conversation echoed in her mind. A mediator’s office. ‘I’ve been through hell recently. Both figuratively and literally. True torment. My greatest fears realized.’_  
_‘Lucifer, I am the one who almost died.’_  
_‘Yes, I know. That is what I’m talking about.’_  
_‘Wow, I almost believe you care.’_  
_‘Have you ever known me to lie?’_  
She stood up. ‘I’m going to check his place out for myself. I’ll be back.’  
Linda shook her head, and walked with her to the elevator. ‘Lucifer is on the verge of breakdown,’ she warned. ‘I’m not sure he can take any more of this. Please, Chloe, you don’t know the whole story.’  
‘Then maybe he should be talking to me, telling me what’s going on,’ she snapped.  
Linda nodded slowly. ‘Maybe he already did. Maybe the real problem is that you refuse to believe him.’  
The words were still echoing in Chloe’s head as the elevator descended. Once again she dismissed the idea that Lucifer could be telling the truth about who he was. That was ridiculous. That didn’t make any sense. That would mean that God was real. And that wasn’t something she was prepared to face.


	3. He's back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pierce reappears. But what does he really desire now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finding the current plotline hard, which is why I've branched out into my own version. So I intend to start fixing things soon - never fear! Just a short chapter this time, then things are set up and ready to go.

Lucifer’s head hurt. No, he corrected himself. Every part of his body hurt. He was on his bed, and by the light in the room he could tell it was approaching evening. This was like the worst hangover coupled with the worst drug withdrawal he had ever felt - which, on reflection, was probably exactly what it was. Not to mention the emotional exhaustion from the betrayal of those he had loved and cared for.   
He lay staring at the ceiling, trying to gather his thoughts. The last few days were a blur. Had Chloe been here?   
A noise disturbed his thoughts, and he glanced across to see Linda watching him. ‘You’re awake then,’ she said softly. ‘How are you feeling now?’  
‘Honestly?’ He tried to force a smile. ‘I feel like Hell.’  
She sat on the bed next to him. ‘You’ve been sleeping better the last few hours. Not so many bad dreams.’  
He nodded. ‘I can’t believe I fell for Maze’s trick.’  
‘Yes. She has been a problem lately.’ Linda’s expression was sorrowful.   
Lucifer thought back. He’d been preoccupied, but memories of some of Maze’s actions came back to him. Had he been selfish, wanting to keep her here just to keep him company? If she was going to destroy all around her in her fury, maybe it would be simpler if he took her back to Hell.  
For a heartbeat he considered staying there himself. It had to be easier than this. Than watching _her_ with _him_.  
He remembered Chloe’s concern for Pierce, even though he had hurt her. Had she mentioned blood? He thought again of that confrontation. He had hit him, but couldn’t remember blood. Was this another of Maze’s tricks?   
The elevator dinged, and he sat up, startled, then stifled a groan as his head throbbed. He grabbed his robe off the chair and wrapped around him as he walked down into the main apartment.  
‘Cain. You’ve got some nerve.’  
Pierce wore the same clothes as when Lucifer had last seen him, although they were torn and spattered with blood. He sported a spectacular black eye and a swollen nose. He kept his distance, with the piano between them, as though using it to protect himself from Lucifer. As though that could make any difference. Lucifer watched him warily.  
‘I came to talk to you.’ Pierce rubbed the missing mark on his arm in an unconscious action.  
Lucifer said nothing, waiting for him to speak.  
‘Please, Lucifer, you need to speak to Maze. Tell her to leave me alone.’  
‘And why would I do that?’ Lucifer did nothing to hold back contempt from his voice.  
‘Because she’s trying to kill me.’  
Lucifer raised an eyebrow. ‘And? I thought that was the point.’  
Pierce held his arms out in a shrug, then let them fall to his side. ‘That’s all I wanted. Or I thought it was. But now - the mark is gone. I have a real chance for a normal life. And I want to spend it with Chloe.’  
The words felt like a knife to the chest. ‘What makes you think she wants you? After the way you treated her?’  
Pierce shook his head helplessly. ‘I know I hurt her. And I need to go and apologize. But I couldn’t hurt her by making her fall in love with me and then dying. And now I don’t need to do that. I can live out my life with her. We can be happy together.’  
‘As long as Maze doesn’t kill you.’  
‘Yeah. That.’  
 _‘He is a good man.’_ The words echoed in Lucifer’s head. Was he wrong? Was Pierce really the man Chloe wanted? At least if she chose Pierce, Lucifer knew that it she was exercising free will. Maybe he would take proper care of her. He would grow old with her. Which was more than Lucifer would do.  
‘Take care of her,’ he said, turning away. He no longer had the strength to fight. Let the detective make her choice. She had made it clear it wouldn’t be Lucifer. ‘And if you hurt her again I will kill you myself. As for Maze, she’s not my demon. She’s all your problem, not mine.’  
Pierce nodded curtly and left. And as he heard the elevator whirring, Lucifer slipped to his knees. He felt Linda’s arms go around him, and then the world faded to darkness.


	4. Regrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pierce apologizes to Chloe. Mazikeen goes as far towards an apology as she can to Lucifer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note: this is me fixing the current season so I can live with it, as I'm finding the events as played out onscreen very painful to watch. Maybe I'm just a wimp ;)

Chloe was lounging on her sofa, lost in her misery, when she heard a tap at the door. She opened it, expecting Dan or maybe even Lucifer, but was startled to see Pierce standing there. Her heart jumped in her chest, and she felt the adrenaline surge through her body. ‘What do you want?’ It took real effort not to snap at him. After all, he was her boss. No sense in causing herself more trouble.  
His smile was forced. ‘I’ve come to apologize. I’m really sorry, Chloe, that was stupid of me. I just - I panicked. After all I said, I guess I just wasn’t ready, and I’m so sorry for hurting you.’  
He looked so pathetic that Chloe melted just a little. ‘You’d better come in,’ she said, moving aside and holding the door open.  
He stepped inside, but remained standing just in front of her, looking sorry for himself. His nose was swollen, and his right eye was a spectacular shade of purple. There was a lump on his head, and his jaw looked bruised.  
‘What happened to you?’ Chloe asked, indicating his face.  
Pierce shrugged. ‘Lucifer beat me up. He was furious at the way I hurt you, and he had every right to be. Please, can we start over?’ He put a hand up to his head, as though it hurt. The stirrings of pity stayed Chloe’s tongue, and he seemed to gain confidence as she said nothing. ‘Please, let me show you how much I care. Let me make it up to you. We were doing okay, weren’t we?’  
Chloe thought back to the evening before. They had been doing okay. This man had seemed to be everything she was looking for in life. She had been so certain.  
Now all of that had ebbed away. But they could get back to where they were, couldn’t they?  
A voice whispered in her mind: _‘What about Lucifer?’_ She pushed it away, unable to deal with it. ‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘How do I know I can trust you?’  
‘You mean everything to me,’ he responded, and those blue eyes swam with pain. ‘I couldn’t live without you, Chloe. I just panicked that I would let you down, and so I ended up hurting you anyway. I’ll never forgive myself for that, but I promise to do better. Please?’  
The last few weeks had been perfect. She had been so in love with him. Hadn’t she? Somehow, it seemed to have faded overnight.  
But what was the alternative? At least with Pierce she had someone to keep her company in the evenings, someone to have fun with. Someone who treated her as special. Someone consistent.  
Until he broke up with her just as she was about to tell him how she felt.  
In front of her, Pierce gazed at her with eyes full of trepidation. What harm would it do to try again? As long as they took it slowly?  
She glanced at her watch. ‘Oh hell, Trixie and Dan will be back soon. I’ll think about it, okay? But I can’t promise anything.’  
His face lit up. ‘You won’t regret it,’ he said, leaning forward to kiss her. It was an uncomfortable kiss, and Chloe couldn’t help her mind flicking back to Lucifer, remembering a kiss on the beach. _She had kissed him, and he had held back. ‘I’m not worth it,’ he had said._  
This kiss - this felt forced, unreal. But Lucifer didn’t care. He had made that clear. There was no point in moping around regretting what might have been, when she had a man in front of her begging her to take him back.  
She watched Pierce leave, and try as she might, she couldn’t remember how she had felt about him the night before. Those marks on his face. Lucifer had said he hit him twice. Did that constitute beating him up? Would that have done that much damage?  
A flicker of unease disturbed her. Which of them was telling the truth?

~~~

Late evening, and Lucifer just finally starting to feel a little more normal. Linda had left a short time before, after ordering him to ring her if he needed her, and when he heard the elevator ding again he thought it was her returning, but instead it was Maze.  
He watched her warily, all too aware of the hostility from her the previous time, but she looked different somehow. If it hadn’t been Maze in front of him, he might have described her as broken, but how could he ever use that word with his demon? Her head was down, and she moved slowly, without the animation he normally expected from her. She walked towards him, and then dropped to her knees in front of him, head still bowed.  
Lucifer waited for her to speak. It took a long time.  
‘I’ve been so stupid.’  
Nothing more followed. He cleared his throat, unsure of how to deal with this. ‘Mazikeen. What’s going on?’  
At last she lifted her face to look at him. Her expression was sorrowful. ‘I’ve hurt everyone around me, and I’ve ruined everything. Things were going so well, and now I’ve destroyed it.’  
He nodded. ‘It’s easy to feel that way, isn’t it?’ Her words rang true for him as well. How had he and Chloe reached this point? It didn’t make any sense.  
‘I just don’t understand what happened!’ There was a sudden burst of anger. ‘It was like someone else was in control, and I was along for the ride. I didn’t want to hurt them. I wanted to be their friend, but somehow I just couldn’t hold back the words, and I can’t live with it any longer. Please, I beg you, there’s nothing for me. If you care anything for me at all, take me back to Hell.’  
After a long pause for thought, Lucifer finally spoke. ‘If that’s really what you want, Maze, then I agree. There’s no sense in staying here if you’re so miserable. The detective doesn’t want me around anymore, you don’t want to stay here. Maybe it would be best if we both left.’  
Maze lifted her eyebrows in surprise. ‘You’re going back to Hell too?’  
He shook his head. ‘Not Hell, no. I’ll take you back and then I’ll find somewhere else. But my time here is done. I thought there was something here for me, but it turns out I was wrong. But there’s no way I’m going to go back to doing Dad’s work in Hell. I’m done with him.’  
‘Pierce lost his curse.’  
‘I know. He wants to get back with Chloe, thinks he’s got a chance with her now he can live out a normal life.’  
‘And she wants him back?’  
Lucifer shrugged. ‘I don’t know. But that’s her choice. She’s made it clear she doesn’t want me, so I suppose I have to leave her to it.’  
‘But he’s a manipulative bastard!’ Maze looked indignant.  
‘She says she loves him.’  
‘You do know he deliberately manipulated her to remove his curse, right?’  
The words felt like a slap. ‘He… how?’  
‘He’s been around a long time, Lucifer. He knows all the tricks. He’s been subtle about it, but she didn’t stand a chance.’  
‘Not Chloe. She’s too clever for that.’  
‘Oh really? Lucifer, after all you two had going for you, she starts treating you like dirt and hanging around that loser? And you think she did that without being manipulated somehow?’  
Lucifer thought back to that evening in the interrogation room. The words rang in his head again. _‘He is a good man.’_ He shook his head, trying to shake the thought loose. ‘The detective can handle him, I’m sure.’  
Maze took a deep breath. ‘If you say so,’ she said, and gave what was supposed to be a smile. ‘But back to Hell?’  
‘Give it twenty-four hours, Maze. Then I’ll be ready to leave. If you still want to go back to Hell, I’ll take you then.’  
She nodded, and looked relieved. She turned to leave, and then, as though stuck by a sudden thought, she turned back to him. ‘Lucifer? Have you wondered if your father is behind all this?’  
‘What?’ He felt the words like a physical blow, as he thought it through. ‘How do you mean?’  
‘I couldn’t help but lash out at everyone. Chloe’s been lashing out at you and making eyes at Pierce. Then his curse is lifted and he’s taking Chloe away from you. Maybe this is your father finally giving Pierce his wish and at the same time screwing you over.’  
He nodded, words failing him, and she stepped into the elevator. As the doors closed and the motor whirred, Lucifer sank into the nearest chair, his mind racing at a million miles an hour. It made sense. Finally, everything that had happened over the past few months made horrible, perfect, painful sense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I make no apologies for producing a literal Deus Ex Machina. It's the only explanation I can find to make the current events fit with the characterization. I look forward to seeing how the show's writers fix it for their part.


	5. A visitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pierce is trying to get back with Chloe. Suddenly she's not so sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a few days. I got caught up in the official version, which might just have managed to redeem itself. But I still want to finish my version of the end of the story.

Chloe was deep in thought when a knock came. ‘I’ll get it!’ Trixie bounced off the sofa and shot over to the door. ‘Oh, it’s you. What do you want?’  
Startled by her daughter’s rudeness, Chloe twisted to see who it was. ‘Marcus?’  
He gave her a rueful smile. ‘Just wanted to call by and see you.’  
‘You can’t come in!’  
‘Trixie!’ Chloe jumped to her feet. ‘That’s not how we treat visitors.’  
Trixie scowled. ‘I don’t like him, Mom,’ she hissed into Chloe’s ear. ‘He made you cry.’  
‘I know, monkey, but - well, he said sorry, and - well, you just shouldn’t speak to people like that.’ She mouthed a ‘Sorry’ over Trixie’s head, and Pierce nodded, the smile fading.  
‘Come in.’ Chloe indicated the sofa, and Pierce stepped into the room. Trixie turned and marched into her room, making a big deal of shutting the door behind her. Chloe sighed. ‘I’m sorry. She’s going to take a while to get over last night.’  
‘And what about her mom?’ Pierce regarded her with his head tilted slightly to one side. She had once found that endearing, but now it just looked a little silly. Chloe shook her head, confused. What was happening to her? It was as though she had been under his spell, and that spell was broken.   
‘Oh, her mom needs a little time too,’ she said nervously. ‘Why don’t you sit down? Do you want some coffee?’  
He nodded, and she made herself busy in the kitchen. A few minutes later, when she carried two mugs of coffee out, he was sitting back, looking as though he owned the place. A stab of resentment flowed through her, and she fought it back. This was stupid. This was just Marcus. The man she had been dating for a few weeks.  
The man who had walked out on her, claiming she wasn’t worth it.  
She sat in the chair opposite, rather than next to him. ‘I just need you to explain something,’ she said. ‘What did you mean when you said I wasn’t worth it?’  
Pierce looked embarrassed. ‘That’s not what I said,’ he protested. ‘I said it wasn’t worth it. Not you. It. I’m sorry, Chloe, it’s been a long time since I opened up to anyone, and it doesn’t come easy. It’s easier to walk away and avoid all the hurt that comes. Or at least, I thought it was.’ He gazed down at his hands, and his face took on that faraway look that always charmed her.   
She slipped off the chair and knelt next to him. This could work. Couldn’t it? She remembered how she had felt over the past few days. All she wanted was to feel safe and loved and wanted again. ‘But you promised you were ready to open up,’ she said.  
He nodded. ‘I am, and I’ll do my best not to hurt you ever again.’  
Chloe ran a hand up his arm, and stopped short when she noticed that the circular scar on his arm was gone. ‘What happened?’ she asked him. _‘That mark on his arm - the circle. That’s his curse. But it’s gone.’_ Lucifer’s words echoed in her mind.  
He stiffened and sat forward, pushing her away slightly. ‘It’s nothing,’ he said. ‘An old scar. I always knew it would fade someday.’  
‘But that was a pretty fast fade,’ Chloe said, trying to take a better look at his arm.  
‘I said it’s nothing!’ Pierce was on his feet now, and his voice was raised.   
Chloe shrank back against the sofa. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t…’ The look on his face dried her voice up, before he looked away and took a deep breath.   
‘It’s a long story,’ he said at last. ‘And I really don’t want to talk about it. I’m sorry.’  
‘Okay.’ Chloe reached forward and took his hand, pulling him gently towards her. ‘Let’s just sit and talk, okay?’ She felt uneasy, remembering Lucifer’s words about not being able to trust him. But nothing about his explanation had made sense, and she felt a flare of irritation at the way he had been trying to influence her relationship with Marcus.  
Pierce nodded and allowed her to pull him down onto the sofa. They sat in silence for a moment, and then his arm reached around her shoulders, pulling her to him. It was a familiar gesture by now, and yet suddenly it felt less affectionate and more an assertion of power. Chloe extricated herself by leaning forward to grab her mug of coffee, and once she had finished her drink she made up some excuse about needing to take Trixie to Dan’s.  
‘That’s a good idea,’ Pierce said. ‘We can have the evening to ourselves.’  
She nodded, but there was a strange feeling in her stomach. ‘Trixie, come on, I need to take you to your Dad’s.’  
Trixie took her time in appearing from her room. ‘Why’s he still here?’  
Pierce looked from one to the other, and Chloe could almost feel him demanding that she correct her daughter. ‘Trixie, we’ll talk later,’ she said. ‘Right now I need to you grab your overnight bag.’  
They walked together to the parking lot, where Pierce’s motorbike sat next to her car. She put Trixie and her bag into the car, and then looked at Pierce. ‘I’m just not sure this is going to work out,’ she said.  
The flash of anger on his face startled her. ‘Don’t let your kid spoil this, Chloe,’ he said, and just for a second Chloe wondered whether he was threatening her.   
‘She’s tired,’ she said, trying to disarm the situation. ‘I’ll talk to her later, let her get used to the idea.’  
He nodded abruptly and pushed his helmet onto his head. ‘How about dinner at my place tonight?’ he said. ‘Around eight?’  
Chloe hesitated, not sure whether she wanted to go or not. The expression on his face made her frown; he didn’t look as though he would accept no for an answer. ‘I’ll call you later,’ she said, getting into the car and pulling her strap across.  
She drove away, and as she glanced back she felt a sudden shiver at the way his gaze followed them. She was seeing a side of him she hadn’t seen before.  
‘Mommy, I really don’t like that man,’ said Trixie. ‘He gives me the creeps.’  
All Chloe could do was nod in answer. What had gone wrong? Had she changed? Or had he? The events of the past few days and weeks suddenly felt like a dream. Or maybe a nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback always welcome.


	6. Proposal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marcus is sorry for breaking up with her. But just how will he prove his devotion? And can she trust him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long - events kind of overtook me, with all the #saveLucifer #pickupLucifer on twitter, and it's painful in a way to revisit these old episodes with the uncertainty currently hanging over us. All feedback welcome as usual.

In the end, Chloe went to Pierce’s house as he had requested. She owed him that much. It looked exactly the same as it had the first time she had been there, and she wandered around, picking up some of the rocks and looking at them. A rock from every place he had visited. He had done a lot of traveling. She wondered for a moment how long he was planning to stay in LA, whether he would be moving on soon. He had already been on the point of moving on, until she had spoken to him and he had changed his mind.

He seemed eager to please, fussing around her, offering a drink, and she started to relax. Maybe she had imagined it all earlier. Maybe Lucifer was getting inside her head, distorting her view of Pierce.

‘Ready for dinner?’ he asked, popping his head out of the kitchen where he had been busying himself.

She nodded, feeling suddenly hungry, and he carried two plates of food out, placing them on the table that he had elaborately set before she arrived.

‘Mmm, this looks nice,’ she said, settling herself at the table. Her mind flashed back to that first meal they had together, as part of an undercover operation. Pierce had seemed so eager then to make it a proper date, despite the fact they were waiting for a murderer to turn up. And then they had both ended up drugged unconscious.

‘What’s the matter?’

She looked up to see him watching her closely, looking concerned. ‘Oh, nothing, just remembering that time we caught the heartbreak killer.’

He smiled. ‘I really enjoyed working that case together.’

‘Yeah, me too.’ She smiled back. She had been silly to overreact. It was Lucifer’s fault. He was so inconsistent, it had made her oversensitive. She enjoyed the rest of the meal, relaxing and chatting to Pierce about work.

Once they had eaten, they settled on the sofa, and he draped his arm around her shoulder. She snuggled in close to him, enjoying the feeling of being held. She felt safe here, not worried about him saying odd things, or pushing her away. He stroked her hair, and she felt herself getting sleepy. The tension of the past couple of days, she supposed, finally ebbing away.

She ran a hand up his arm, feeling the place where his mark had been. Now the skin was completely smooth, no indication at all that there had ever been anything there. ‘What caused the mark on your arm?’ she asked.

He stiffened and pulled away from her. ‘I told you, I don’t want to talk about it.’

Trying to lighten up the mood, Chloe said, ‘Lucifer told me—’

‘I told you not to listen to that idiot! Babbling on about curses and immortality…’

‘I’m sorry, you know I don’t take him seriously. I shouldn’t have mentioned him. I’m sorry.’ Chloe pulled him back to her and tried to rekindle the mood. But his words echoed in her head. _Curses and immortality._ How did he know what Lucifer had told her?

His voice pulled her away from her thoughts. ‘Chloe?’

‘Uhuh?’ She twisted her head around to look at Marcus, who was frowning down at her.

‘I have a question to ask you.’

‘Oh, okay.’ She sat up a little and turned towards him. Her heart started to beat uncomfortably fast. What was it with her, any suggestion of a problem and she seized up? She should have kept quiet about Lucifer. It was time she got him out of her system, before he ruined any chance of future happiness for her.

Marcus stood up, fished in the pocket of his jeans. He held out his hand to her, and she looked down to see him holding a diamond ring. The stone flashed in the candlelight. She swallowed hard.

‘Chloe Decker, will you marry me?’

Chloe stared at him in shock. He could not be serious. They had been dating for only a few weeks. He had broken up with her just as she had been about to declare her love. And now he was asking her to marry him?

Her silence appeared to make him nervous. ‘I’m sorry, I wanted to wait, but I thought it would show you how serious I am about not leaving you again.’

She shook her head. ‘Marcus, really, I’m flattered, and I really like you, but after… I mean… it’s just too soon.’

‘I love you, Chloe. More than anything. More than I’ve ever loved anyone. You bring meaning to my life, and I want to know you’ll stay in it.’

Chloe stood; having him tower over her was starting to make her feel a little nervous. ‘I’m sorry, but I need time to think about it.’ She tried to soften her tone, to let him down gently.

‘Time - huh.’ His expression was strange. ‘That’s something I’ve always had too much of. But now life seems too short. Why wait?’

‘Trixie…’

‘That little…’

For a moment, she thought the next word would be ‘brat’, but he stopped himself. She shook her head. What was she thinking? How could he imagine she could possibly agree to marry him while her daughter hated him?

She caught hold of his hands. ‘Marcus, I really, really like you. And I’m not saying no. But I can’t say yes right now. You have to understand, Trixie comes first in my life, and I need to know she’ll accept you before I can say yes to this.’

‘I can’t wait!’ He swung away from her, suddenly furious, and she shrank back.

‘What’s wrong? What’s the harm in waiting?’

‘You don’t understand!’

The words she had heard so many times from Lucifer’s mouth infuriated her. ‘Then make me understand!’

He banged his fist on the table, stood there breathing heavily for a moment, and then turned to face her. ‘My life has been a meaningless existence for so long. I’ve tried to end it so many times, and could never do it. And then I find you, and you make it all worthwhile, give it all meaning, and it can end at any time. Chloe, I need you. I can’t handle life without you.’

Her blood froze. ‘Marcus, are you…?’

‘Please, Chloe, I’m begging you, I can’t live without you.’ His voice was quiet now, but a note in it set her on edge. ‘Please say you’ll stay with me. Please say you’ll marry me.’ He grabbed at her arm, and her fingers gripped like a vice.

‘Marcus, you’re hurting me!’ Chloe tried to prise his fingers off her arm, but he was hanging on tightly, his eyes fixed intently on her face. ‘Please! I’ve said I’ll think about it. But not like this. You have to let me go!’

He released his hold on her arm, but his gaze was still uncomfortably intense. Chloe backed away slightly. ‘I have to go get Trixie now,’ she said. ‘I’ll be back later, okay?’

He nodded, and turned his back on her. She took a step towards him. Maybe she had been too harsh. If he was suicidal, and she had pushed him over the edge…

‘Go.’ His voice was soft. ‘I’m sorry if I scared you. I’ll wait for your answer.’

She stood for a long moment, looking at him, running his words through her head, trying to work out what was going on. Some of the things he said were so strange, it was almost as though Lucifer had been telling the truth after all.

Although that was impossible, of course. There was no such thing as being cursed by God, being immortal, or being the devil.

With a deep sigh, Chloe turned to leave. ‘We’ll talk in the morning, okay?’

There was no response, and she reluctantly stepped towards the door. ‘Just promise me you won’t do anything - stupid?’

His back was towards her, and he showed no signs of having heard her. In the end, she opened the door softly. ‘We’ll talk tomorrow,’ she said, and left.

 


	7. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe, shaken by Pierce's proposal and his reaction when she asked for time to consider it, heads home, but find herself at Lux instead. Maybe it's time to demand the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long on this one. I've been distracted by other things, not least my I am the Devil/Voices from the Past duo. But I'm still determined to finish this alternate ending to season 3.  
> All feedback welcome, and thanks for reading.

Chloe had been planning to return home, but her car turned right instead of left almost automatically, and she found herself close to Lux. She cursed herself for not concentrating, and then shrugged, parked up and headed up to the penthouse. Maybe this would be a good time to get some answers from Lucifer.

He was reclined on his sofa, feet up, his usual glass of whiskey in his hand. He still looked pale, but far better than when she had last seen him, and she felt her heart give that little skip it always did at the sight of him. She squashed it resolutely. She wasn’t going down that path again. It always ended in pain.

He looked over at her and raised the glass in greeting, but his usual cheerful smile was absent. ‘What can I do for you, detective? Did you find your lieutenant?’

She nodded, and he scowled. ‘Damn, I was hoping he’d cleared off for good.’

Chloe felt an urge to stamp her foot. ‘Just what is it you’ve got against him, Lucifer? And why is my relationship with him any of your business?’

He gave a patient sigh. ‘You are free to date whomever you wish, detective, but that particular cockroach is bad news, and I’m concerned about your safety, especially as it appears my father was behind all this.’

She wanted to dismiss his words as nonsense, but the expression on Pierce’s face as she hesitated over his proposal haunted her. ‘You need to be more specific, Lucifer, and none of your games, please.’

Lucifer climbed to his feet, downed the remainder of his whiskey in one gulp and waved the glass in her direction. ‘More specific than that he was cursed by my father as the first murderer? How about the fact that he manipulated you into a relationship with him with the sole intention of lifting his curse so he can die?’

‘He asked me to marry him.’ The words were out of her mouth before she had thought it through.

Lucifer stared at her in shock for a moment. ‘He did what now?’

With a deep breath, Chloe explained. ‘He turned up at my house, apologized. Said he’d panicked, but he wanted to marry me to prove he was serious.’

He frowned. ‘And what did you say?’

‘Not that it’s any of your business, but I said I’d think about it.’

‘Uhoo, I bet he didn’t take that well.’

Chloe refused to answer. ‘Lucifer, please, if you know something about him, you need to tell me.’

He turned away. ‘Detective, I’ve repeatedly told you what I know. Maybe it’s time you started to actually believe me.’

‘You’ve told me your version of the truth! No more metaphors, Lucifer. Tell me something I can believe.’

Lucifer spun around towards her, and she stepped back at the sudden flash of anger. ‘Something you can believe? How about you believe the truth? I have always been honest with you. You’re a great detective, you can always ferret out the truth, but in this you just won’t see what’s in front of you!’

Chloe opened her mouth to reply, and then closed it again, unable to think of anything to say. He seemed so adamant that he was telling the truth. For a wild moment she wondered whether he was completely insane. She had been treating him as a harmless eccentric who insisted on viewing his life through this strange lens, but could he actually be dangerous?

Then she met his exasperated gaze and shook her head slightly. She had never, ever been afraid of him.

No, that was a lie. She could think of one occasion when she had felt a flash of fear. He had been threatening a suspect, in the early days of their partnership, when some trick of light in a reflection seemed to show his eyes glowing. For just a few seconds she had believed him then, when he claimed to be the devil. She had even shot him, at his urging, only to be shaken back to reality when he bled. Was she starting to fall under that spell again now? Was he hypnotising her or something?

‘Lucifer, please. Help me to understand. Help me to know how to handle him. I don’t want to get this wrong. He’s my boss, and a friend, and I was beginning to think I loved him, that he loved me. And now - I’m not sure what to believe.’

Lucifer sat at the piano and started to play a slow, mournful tune. ‘I really don’t know what you want from me, detective.’

With a sigh, Chloe turned away. She’d had enough of his games. ‘I just need to use your bathroom.’

‘Go ahead, you know the way.’ Lucifer tried out a riff, played variations on it, settled on a version he liked and bent his face towards the keys, listening intently to the music.

Chloe left him there, went up the steps to his bedroom and through to the bathroom. She used the facilities and then splashed cold water on her face, trying to calm herself. She must have imagined whatever vibe she had thought she’d felt from Pierce. The man was a respected police officer, a colleague, a friend. A lover. And she had an overactive imagination and a crazy obsession with an eccentric British man who fancied himself as the most evil person in the world.

And she was worried that _he_ was crazy?

It was time to end all this nonsense. She marched out of the bathroom intent on telling Lucifer that their partnership was over, that she could no longer work with him. As to Pierce - maybe she just needed to reassure him, to slow him down a little. After all, it sounded like it had been a long time since he had trusted anyone enough to let them in emotionally. It wasn’t so surprising that he was struggling to cope.

The piano playing stopped mid-phrase as she entered the bedroom, and as she glanced over she saw why: Lucifer was standing facing her, and between them, with his back to her, was Pierce. Lucifer had stepped away from the piano, placing himself so that Pierce would not see her, and he glanced briefly over with an expression on his face that froze her mid-step, before he turned his attention back to his visitor. Chloe stepped silently sideways and stood with her back to the archway, where Pierce would not be aware of her presence, and there she listened to the conversation. Maybe this way she could find out just what was going on between the two men.

 


	8. Pierce believes Lucifer?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe overhears an interesting conversation and begins to wonder who is really telling the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm ashamed of how long it's taken to update this story. I'm determined now to get it finished and out of the way. Should be just another couple of chapters after this.

‘Good evening, Cain,’ Lucifer said smoothly.

   It was Pierce’s voice that responded, and Chloe shuddered, stepping out of sight in the bedroom and listening hard. Why had Lucifer called him Cain? And why did she suddenly feel dread creeping over her?

   ‘What can I do for you this evening?’ Lucifer asked. ‘Drink? Cosy chat?’

   ‘Cut the crap, Lucifer, where is she?’

   ‘Who?’ There was the sound of a drink being poured.

   ‘Chloe.’

   ‘Why would you think she would be here?’ Lucifer asked. ‘You had Maze drive me away from her, remember? So the pair of you could get all cozy?’

   ‘Ha!’ Pierce’s laughter sounded bitter. ‘It worked, didn’t it?’

   ‘Until you chickened out at the last minute,’ Lucifer pointed out. ‘You got what you wanted from the relationship. So just why did you come back, Piercey?’

   There was a moment’s silence. ‘I told you. I changed my mind. I have a real chance to be with her now. To grow old with her. To live a normal life.’

   ‘And what if that’s not what she wants?’

   ‘It will be. I want you to stay away from her. You’ve been speaking to her again, I know it. She’s in love with me. She worships the ground I walk on. But you’ve been putting doubts into her mind.’

   Lucifer gave a bitter laugh. ‘Did you ever consider you did that yourself when you treated her so badly?’

   ‘She’ll come back to me. I know she will. As long as you keep your nose out of my business.’

   Chloe listened to the conversation in growing anger. Pierce sounded so sure of himself, so convinced that she wanted him.

   Maybe she _had_ wanted him. But was it love? Maybe it was just a silly infatuation. Whatever it was, the urge had faded. She was reminded of the girls she had known at school. She had watched from a distance as they drifted from one celebrity crush to another, dropping each on a whim as the next caught their eye. The prom she had attended on a case recently had woken in her the desire to experience that freedom, that heady pleasure of moving from one romance to the next, and somehow Pierce had become the center of her attention.

   Now the tidal surge of emotion had ebbed, and had left her high and dry on the shore, wondering what she had ever seen in the man.

   ‘The detective is a grown woman. She’s perfectly capable of making her own decisions.’ Lucifer’s voice was firm, and Chloe’s heart swelled with emotion. Maybe he did care for her.

   ‘As long as you stop mooning around her, distracting her. After all, what’s the point? It’s not as though she could ever have a proper relationship with the devil!’

   So Pierce humored him in his metaphors as well. For some odd reason she felt furious at that. As though she was doing it out of concern for him, while Pierce was doing it to hurt him.

   Lucifer’s voice sounded strained. ‘I - we’re friends. I care for her. I’m just trying to protect her.’

  ‘But one day she’ll die and you’ll be on your own again. And what sort of life would it be? Don’t you see, Lucifer, that’s why I’ve avoided any kind of relationship. I’ve had more than my share of watching as the one I love grows old and dies. It hurts.’

  What did he mean by that? Chloe’s thoughts tumbled as she processed Pierce’s words. They just didn’t make sense.

   ‘Well now you’ve got your wish. My father’s curse is broken and you can die anytime you want.’ Footsteps revealed Lucifer’s movement towards the bar, and she heard the sound of a glass chinking as he poured himself another drink.

   ‘And with an irony worthy of your father, I finally have a reason to keep living.’ She winced at the bitterness in Pierce’s voice.

   ‘Then keep living. Just leave here. Go and find a life of your own. Live out your days in love and joy and all the rest of that nonsense. Just leave the detective out of it. Please.’

   ‘I can’t.’ It was hardly more than a whisper. There was another clink and Chloe guessed that Pierce had poured himself a drink too. There was silence for a moment as both men drank. Chloe thought back to all that had been said. It really sounded as though Pierce believed Lucifer really was the devil. But that was just ridiculous. It would mean - it would mean that all he had ever told her was true. That all those metaphors she had dismissed were not metaphors.

   It would mean that heaven was real. Hell was real. Angels existed.

   And the man she loved was truly the devil.

   The thought took her breath away. The man she loved. She had been fighting those feelings for a long time, almost as long as she had known him, uncertain how he felt about her. At first, he had put all his energies into trying to charm her into bed. And then just as they had started to make that move from friendship into something more, he had disappeared, and returned married to someone else.

   She still didn’t understand his actions back then. Her mind flashed back to that time when he had entered her house, shouting for her. _‘Did you know? This whole bloody time, did you know?’_ She had never asked him what he meant, because that was the moment she had discovered her nosebleed, had started to fear for her life, and the time after that had been a chase around for information, followed by lying in bed feeling - yes, say it, feeling like Hell - while the others all worked to save her life.

   Just how had they done that, anyway? Supposedly the only place the antidote had existed was in Carlisle’s head. And he was dead.

   In Hell.

   Her brain refused to take that train of thought any further. Feeling suddenly vulnerable standing with her back to the archway, she dropped to her knees and crawled forward, taking shelter on the far side of the bed. From there she was clear of anyone’s gaze unless they walked into the room and around the corner of the bed. And she couldn’t imagine Pierce walking into Lucifer’s bedroom.

   The vague thought hit her that she didn’t fear Lucifer finding her. She knew that he was no threat to her. But what was he? For the first time since that time back in the warehouse when she had shot him, she found herself seriously considering whether her friend and partner could truly be the devil himself.

   All was quiet in the next room, and she strained her ears, trying to pick up any clue as to what was happening.

   ‘Ow! What did you do that for?’ Lucifer’s voice was suddenly indignant, protesting.

   ‘I knew it!’ Pierce sounded furious. ‘She’s here, isn’t she? You wouldn’t bleed like that if she weren’t. Where is she?’

   ‘She doesn’t want to see you,’ Lucifer answered testily.

   ‘Then it’s about time I took you out of the equation.’

   Chloe’s blood ran cold as she recognized the click of a gun’s safety catch.

   ‘If Chloe is nearby, then you’re vulnerable. And this is a good opportunity to take you out of the picture completely. Then she’s all mine.’

**Author's Note:**

> All feedback welcome. Not sure where I'll go with this - suggestions welcome!


End file.
